Help me with my search for a 5'er

First of all, I am searching for 5'ers online, so I actually haven't tried out any of these basses. My search for a comfortable 5'er is rooted in finding the dimensions of certain basses, and comparing them to basses I have played.

My search for a 5 string bass has come to halt twice after I had to pass on a Lakland 55-01 because the string spacing was too much, and I had to pass on a Schecter Diamond Elite 5 because the string spacing was too little.

Neither of these basses fit my ideal criteria, but they both came pretty close. Here is my ideal find (but I don't expect to find it and would be appreciative of suggestions that meet most of this criteria instead):

The Ibanez model you mentioned is a very good bass. You'll be happy with it, however, don't limit your choices to just neck throughs. You should check out the Lakland Skylines. They're great basses, and will suite your needs and more.

The Ibanez model you mentioned is a very good bass. You'll be happy with it, however, don't limit your choices to just neck throughs. You should check out the Lakland Skylines. They're great basses, and will suite your needs and more.

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Do you know anything about the string spacing of the Ibanez model? I can't get them to send me an e-mail about it.

If you want a bass with closer string spacing than a Lakland Skyline, check out Musicman SUBs or G&L Tributes. You could also check out used Musicman Stingray 5s and used G&Ls. Their spacing is closer but still wide enough for easy slapping (to me at least.)

To answer your question concerning string spacing... All Ibanez necks are pretty thin, but I found that when it comes to SDG necks, they tend to get pretty fat, too fat for me. The string spacing may be what you want, I suggest you try to find a 5 string SDGR, and play it and see how you like it. If it's the right size, I'd say get it.

To my understanding, the G&L necks are like logs, really round and really fat.

I have played many MM Stingray 5's before, and I love the feel, but the sound is not there for me. It has too little sustain, and too much aggression. Keep in mind that I'm getting a KSD 70's for aggressive, slap stuff, all I need is smooth tone for jazz, soul, and supporting bass lines in general.

I'm seriously considering a 55-01, as Woodchuck suggested. I think I could get used to the string spacing being too wide. Too narrow is another issue entirely.